behind its appearance of a beautiful object, the ‘earthquake lamp‘ unveils its true nature when it responds — in real time — to earthquakes from around the world with light pulses and a disturbing rumble. the luminaire immediately changes the observer’s behaviour — shifting between anxiety and fascination — while also inviting them to contemplate the reality and beauty of a living planet, constantly in motion.

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
the lamp has a very simple design

 

 

the inspiration for this creation came from the great 2011 tōhoku earthquake in japan, as the french artist parse/error was living in tokyo during this tragic event. the lamp acts as a connection between us and the earth, like a tangible interaction, and crystallizes our fear and captivation of the power of nature.

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
the lamp responds to earthquakes from around the world

 

 

linked to the data from IRIS (incorporated research institutions for seismology), the earthquake lamp reproduces earthquakes worldwide with a delay of only a few minutes. this artwork is thought as a flattened planisphere, representing the axis of the longitudes.

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
the lamp is linked to the data from IRIS

 

 

light and sound pulses change according to the location and magnitude of the earthquake, changing the color and duration of the pulsations, and the power of the sound. linked to a subwoofer, the earthquake lamp produces an impressive rumble that leads the viewer even further into the disturbing sensation of an earthquake.

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
the lamp’s light and sound pulses change according to the location of the earthquake

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
the color of the light varies

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
earthquake lamp in blue

 

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
earthquake lamp in orange

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
the lamp acts as a connection between us and the earth

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
this artwork is thought as a flattened planisphere

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
the inspiration for this creation came from the great 2011 tōhoku earthquake in japan

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
linked to a subwoofer, the earthquake lamp will produce an impressive rumble

parse/error's lamp reacts to earthquakes in real time
the lamp leads the viewer into the disturbing sensation of an earthquake

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: maria erman | designboom